Hun har en liten familie.

she

Breakdown of Hun har en liten familie.

• ha: to have
• en: a
• familie: the family
• liten: small

Questions & Answers about Hun har en liten familie.

Why does the sentence use Hun instead of Han?

In Norwegian, Hun means she, while Han means he. Since the sentence refers to a female subject, Hun is used.

Why does the sentence use en before liten familie?

En is the indefinite article used for masculine (and sometimes common-gender) nouns in Norwegian Bokmål. Although familie can be considered feminine, many speakers default to the masculine article en in Bokmål.

Is familie always considered a masculine noun in Norwegian?

Familie can be regarded as either feminine or masculine. However, in Bokmål it’s more common to treat it as masculine. That’s why you’ll commonly see en familie. If you do see ei familie, it’s a valid, though less typical, form.

How does liten work as an adjective here?

The adjective liten means small or little. When describing a singular masculine or feminine noun, it stays as liten. If the noun is neuter, you would use lite, and if it’s plural, you would use små.

Can I say Hun har en familie som er liten instead?

Yes, that would also be grammatically correct, but it feels slightly more wordy and explanatory. Hun har en liten familie is a more direct way to say She has a small family.